Surgical hand brush



June 18, s STEVENS SURGICAL HAND BRUSH Filed June 8, 1962 c I I l l l l l l l ll l a 0.0.0.0; o. .0.o

INVEN TOR. STANFORD SHEPLEV STEVENS A TTORNEV United IHStates Patent 3,093,855 SURGICAL HAND BRUSH Stanford Shepley Stevens, Pawtucket, RJ., assigner to Zylon Products Co., Inc., Pawtucket, RJ., a corporation of Rhode Island Filed June 8, 1962, Ser. No. 201,162 3 Claims. (Cl. 15-160) This invention relates generally to brushes and more particularly to a surgical hand brush as used by a physician for sterilizing his hands.

It has been common practice in hospitals and doctors anddentists oliices to provide surgical hand brushes to be used by physicians or surgeons for sterilizing their hands as required for professional practice. Such brushes have generally included a wooden back in which the bristles are set which is of a size to be comfortably held in the hand of the user. For convenient handling of such brushes dispensers have been provided in which the brushes are placed and the dispenser and brushes are all placed in the sterilizer where they are treated at a high temperature which may be of the order of 300 F. The dispenser is then taken out of the -sterilizer and hung on a wall or placed on some suitable support Where the brushes are readily available when it is desired `to use one for scrubbing the hands of a physician or the like.

As stated above, such brushes have generally had backs made of Wood, and it has been found that after the wood back brushes have been placed in the sterilizer a few times the backs go to pieces and the brush must be replaced by a new one. Attempts have been made to find a material for making the backs for these brushes which can be subjected to the sterilizing temperature of 300 F. without being substantially affected, but these attempts have been unsuccessful. Although plastic materials have been suggested, relatively few plastic materials are available which will stand the 300 F. sterilization temperature Without softening and these materials are relatively expensive. Furtlier it is difficult to mold a heavy or thick back for a brush such as has been heretofore provided as it is difficult to mold a member having a thickness greater than 1A inch. The size of the back of the br-ush is important in the present case, both in `order to provide a back which can be easily gripped in the hand, and also be-V cause the dispensing machines now used have a release mechanism arranged to operate on the backs of the brushes. Therefore, to permit use of the standard dispensing machines, the brushes must be provided with a lback of substantially the same shape as the brushes now used.

Itis, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved surgical hand lbrush having a back of such size and shape to be easily gripped by the hand ofthe user and to fit in standard dispensers.

It is further object of this invention `to provide an inexpensive surgical hand brush having a back made of material which is not harmed when subjected to high temperatures as required for sterilizing the brush.

A feature of this invention is the provision of a surgical hand brush having a lightweight hollow handle of such size to be conveniently held in the hand of the user and of the proper size to be handled by the standard dispensing machines.

A further feature of this invention is the provision of a surgical hand brush having a back portion molded of plastic material which is hollow so that the Walls thereof are relatively thin and can be easily molded and a relatively small amount of material is required.

A still further feature of this invention is the provision of a surgical hand brush having a plastic back and bristles made of synthetic fibers which will withstand ICC temperatures of 300 F. and higher so that the brush can be sterilized Without harmfully affecting the same.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

`FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a surgical hand brush in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE l, illustrating the top of the brush in relation to the brush body before the top is fixed t-o the brush body.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the brush body with the top removed;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cross sectional View taken on line 4 4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a transverse cross sectional View taken on line 5 5 of FIGURE 4.

yFIGURE 6 is a side View of a dispenser for surgical brushes with `a'. portion of the side broken away to show the manner in which the brushes are held in the dispenser.

In practicing the invention there is provided a small hand brush, which is an improvement over the hand brush disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,546,291 dated March 27, 1951, having a back -molded of thermoplastic material with bristles made of suitable material such as a synthetic iiber secured thereto.

The present surgical hand brush, generally indicated by Vreference character 10, is provided with a back of hollow rectangular shape or configuration, having a relatively thin bottom Wall in which the bristles are set, and top, end, and side walls which are also relatively thin. The top becomes an integral part of the bottom, end, and side walls, to provide a lightweight, floating, sturdy hand brush. The end and side walls are provided with a bead which extends beyond the bottom wall to prevent the thin walls from distorting when subjected to sterilizing heat. The side walls are provided with ribs to facilitate holding the back of the brush in the hand of the user.

Referring to the drawings, in FIGURE l there is illustrated the surgical hand brush, 10, comprising a hollow rectangular body consisting of a relatively thin bottom wall 11, and integrally provided end walls 12, 13, and side walls 14, 15. The upper portions of end walls 12, 13 and side walls 14, 15 define a hollow parallel Walled rectangular configuration provided ywith an outwardly projecting :bead 1"6. The parallel walled rectangular conguration then tapers downwardly and inwardly, see FIGURES 4 and 5, so that end walls 12, 13 and side walls 14, 15 join bottom wall 11. Bottom wall 11 is provided with a plurality of circular projections 17, one for each bunch of bristles inthe brush.

A top or cover 32, rectangular in shape, is provided with a ectangularly shaped flange 33 set back from the edge of the cover toprovide underside 34'. Underside 34 restsvupon the top edge of end walls 12, 13 and side walls 1'4, 15 and is fastened thereto by means of a heat seal, adhesive or plastic solvent. The cavity 35 formed in the hollow rectangular body by means of cover 32 allows surgical hand brush 10 to float. Cover 32 may be dispensed with in the practical use of the brush. Cover 32 serves an esthetic function when not used in a dispenser.

The present surgical hand brush was created so as to be adapted to the molding process and particularly to be molded 'of thermoplastic material which is not deleteriously affected by temperatures of the order of 300 F., so that the brush will not be harmed when the brush is sterilized.

In order to prolong the life of the brush it is necessary to make all walls of the brush as uniform in thickness as possible so that the heat of molding and the heat of sterilization with the accompanying cooling will not setup 3 undue expansion and contraction stresses in the brush whereby the brush destroys itself.

Thermoplastic materials having the physical characteristics needed for a surgical hand brush are relatively expensive. Thin walls save material and reduce the cost of the brush. Thin walls also reduced the time it takes to mold a brush. Therefore, more brushes may be molded in a given time, further reducing the cost of manufacture.

To effect the molding process, each circular projection is connected to adjacent circular projections by means of a gate 18. The gate 18 is clearly seen in FIGURES 3 and 4 and may be termed ribs. The gate 18 allows the thermoplastic material to be poured from the molding sprue (not shown) to the entire surface of the mold quickly, before the material cools and sets and to avoid air or blow holes in the molded back. In FIGURES 3 and 4, the corner circular projections 17 show the excess material in the form of flat tits 2 where the sprue was connected. T hegate or ribs 18 reinforce bottom wall 11 so that it may generally be thinner than it would be if no ribs 18 were provided.

The bristle tufts 3 comprisev bristles made of synthetic fiber or the like. The bristle tufts 3 are set in the circular projections 17. Circular projections 17 may be molded hollow so as to receive the bristle tufts 3 or they may be molded solid. In which event a drilling operation renders them hollow for the reception and retention of the bristle tufts 3. There are many ways in which the bristle tufts 3 may be secured in the hollow circular projections 17. A thermoplastic solvent or an adhesive may be used. The manner in which the bristle tufts 3 are held in hollow circular projections 17 forms no part of this invention.

To facilitate holding the brush in the hand of the person using the same, corrugations or ribs 7 are provided in side walls 14, which make it easier for the person using the brush to grip the blush securely in his fingers so that it will not be dropped while he is using it to scrub and sterilize his hands. FIGURES l and 2 illustrate the configuration of corrugations or ribs 7.

As previously stated, surgical hand brushes must be sterilized before being used and to do this easily, vdispensers are provided such as that shown in FIG. 6. The brushes are loaded in the dispenser and then the dispenser and brushes are placed in a sterilizer in which the entire mechanism and brushes are sterilized. The dispenser may then be supported on a wall or other suitable support so that it is convenient for a person desiring to use a brush to obtain a brush therefrom. VThe brush is then used for applying liquid soap or other antiseptic for sterilizing the hands of a surgeon or other person engaged in the medical profession. Referring now more particularly to FIG. 6, the dispenser includes projecting portions 19 at the top and bottom to facilitate mounting the dispenser on a wall. The dispenser has a hinged side 21 (shown partly broken away) which is adapted to be opened to permit placing the brushes therein prior to being sterilized. The brushes are stacked one on top of the other in the dispenser with the back of the bottom brush resting on rod 22 at one end and on a rotatable dropping mechanism 23V at the other end. The dropping mechanism is in the shape of a paddle wheel having a plurality of angularly spaced projections or paddles 29. For rotating the paddle wheel, an arm 24 is provided on the dispenser which includes an extension 25 arranged to operate the dropping mechanism. The extension 25 is connected through linkage 26 to a pawl 27 which engages a tooth wheel 28 supported on the same shaft as the dropping mechanism 23. A spring 30 is provided between the arm 24 and the projecting portion 19 to hold the arm l24, ina normal position. When it is desired to obtain a brush fromV the dispenser, the arm 24 is pushed against the spring and the movement thereof is transmitted to the ratchet mechanism causing the dropping mechanism to be turned in a counterclockwise direction so that the paddle 29A on the dropping mechanism moves down- 4 wardly releasing the corner 5 of the cover 32 of the brush 10. This allows the bottom brush to drop out and the next brush to drop down to a position where the corners 5 thereof engage the rod 22 and the next paddle 29B of the dropping mechanism. This brush now is in a position to be dropped when the arm 24 is again operated.

The dispenser 20 is not a part of the present invention and is shown merely to point out the specific requirements which the back of a brush must meet in order for the brush to be suitable for use in such dispensers. It is apparent that the top of the brush 32 must be of sufficient length to be engaged by the rod 22 and the dropping mechanism 23 of the dispenser. By providing a top portion 32 slightly longer than the brush proper, corners 5 are provided which engage the rod and paddles and the likelihood of the brush jamming in the dispenser is considerably reduced. Further, it is apparent from FIG. 5 that the top surface of the brush back must be flat as the brushes are stacked in the dispenser on top of each other and each brush is supported on the bristles of the brush underneath it. yIn order to prevent deformation of the bristles of the brushes the weight of the brushes must be uniformly distributed thereon and this requires that the top of the brush back be at so that the weight of the brush is substantially uniformly distributed among the bristles of the brush below. This tends to prevent deformation and matting of the bristles which would render the brush unsatisfactory for use.

It is apparent that a brush having a plastic back in accordance with the invention is much neater in appearance and much more easily cleaned than the prior brushes. The hollow configuration provides a very light brush and oneV which is of suitable size to be easily gripped in the hand. By using a hollow back construction a relatively small amount of plastic material is required to provide a back which is sufficiently large both for convenient use and for handling in standard dispensing machines. A back of this configuration is also much easier to mold than would be a solid back of adequate size to be held in the hand. The feature of the brush which is most material with respect to cost, however, is the ability of the brush to withstand the high temperatures used in sterilization without being deleteriously affected thereby. Both the plastic back and the synthetic fiber bristles are substantially unaffected thereby.V Both the plastic back and the synthetic fiber bristles are substantially unaffected by temperatures of the order of 300 Fyas used in sterilizing surgical brushes and other surgical instruments. Therefore, the life of the brush is many times more than that of a wooden brush so that the over-all cost is much less than that of present brushes having wood backs or backs heretofore fabricated from plastic material.

Having shown and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, by way of example, it should be realized that structural changes could be made and other examples given without departing from either the spirit or scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. A surgical hand brush comprising a hollow rectangular body consisting of a relatively thin bottom wall and integral end and side walls, the upper portions of the end and side walls defining a hollow parallel walled rectangular configuration provided with an outwardly projecting bead, the hollow parallel walled rectangular configuration being tapered downwardly and inwardly below said outwardly projecting bead to said bottom Wall, a plurality of hollow circular projections integrally provided in said bottom wall, a plurality of ribs connecting said plurality of hollow circular projections, one hollow circular projection with each of the adjacent hollow circular projections, a plurality of bristle tufts, means fastening one Vof said plurality of bristle tufts in each of said plurality of hollow circularV projections, a rectangular cover provided with a rectangular flange set back from the edge of said cover whereby said cover when placed upon said hollow rectangular body rests upon the top edge of said rectangular body with said rectangular flange abutting the upper portions of said hollow parallel walled rectangular coni'iguration and means securing said cover to said hollow rectangular body with the edges of said cover overlying said outwardly projecting head.

2. A `surgical hand brush comprising a hollow rectangular body consisting of a relatively thin 'bottom wall and integral end and side walls, said side walls 'having corrugations to facilitate linger gripping, the upper portions of the end and side walls dening a hollow parallel Walled rectangular configuration provided with an outwardly projecting bead, the hollow parallel walled rectangular configuration lbeing tapered downwardly and inwardly below said outwardly projecting bead to said bottom wall, a plurality of hollow `circular projections integrally provided in said bottom wall, a plurality of ribs connecting said plurality of hollow circular projections, one hollow circular projection with each of the adjacent hollow circular projections, a plurality of bristle tufts, means fastening one of said plurality of bristle tufts in each of said plurality of hollow circular projections, a rectangular cover provided with a rectangular tiange set back from the edge of said cover whereby said cover when placed upon said hollow rectangular body rests upon the top edge of said rectangular body with said rectangular flange abutting the upper portions of said 1101- low parallel walled rectangular configuration and means securing said cover to said hollow rectangular body with 6 the edges of said cover overlying said outwardly projecting bead.

3. A surgical hand brush comprising a hollow rectangular body consisting of a relatively thin bottom wall and integral end and side walls, the upper portions of the end and side walls delining a lhollow parallel walled rectangular 4configuration provided with an outwardly projecting bead, the hollow parallel walled rectangular configuration being tapered downwardly and inwardly be low said outwardly projecting bead to said bottom wall, a plurality of hollow circular projections integrally provided in said bottom wall, a plurality of ribs connecting rsaid plurality of hollow circular projections, one ihollow circular projection with each of the adjacent hollow circular projections, a plurality of bristle tufts, and means fastening one of said plurality of bristle tufts in each of said plurality of hollow circular projections.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,847,668 Reh Mar. 1, 1932 2,546,291 Baumgartner Mar. 27, 1951 2,794,201 Kutik June 4, 1957 2,930,060 Pearce Mar. 29, 1960 3,000,030 Ours Sept. 19, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 688,611 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1953 1,072,486 France Mar. 17, 1954 

3. A SURGICAL HAND BRUSH COMPRISING A HOLLOW RECTANGULAR BODY CONSISTING OF A RELATIVELY THIN BOTTOM WALL AND INTEGRAL END AND SIDE WALLS, THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE END AND SIDE WALLS DEFINING A HOLLOW PARALLEL WALLED RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION PROVIDED WITH AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING BEAD, THE HOLLOW PARALLEL WALLED RECTANGULAR CONFIGURATION BEING TAPERED DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY BELOW SAID OUTWARDLY PROJECTING BEAD TO SAID BOTTOM WALL, A PLURALITY OF HOLLOW CIRCULAR PROJECTIONS INTEGRALLY PROVIDED IN SAID BOTTOM WALL, A PLURALITY OF RIBS CONNECTING SAID PLURALITY OF HOLLOW CIRCULAR PROJECTIONS, ONE HOLLOW CIRCULAR PROJECTION WITH EACH OF THE ADJACENT HOLLOW CIRCULAR PROJECTIONS, A PLURALITY OF BRISTLE TUFTS, AND MEANS FASTENING ONE OF SAID PLURALITY OF BRISTLE TUFTS IN EACH OF SAID PLURALITY OF HOLLOW CIRCULAR PROJECTIONS. 